The Corona crisis is putting people and companies around the world to the test. In Germany, too, there are now stricter regulations concerning, for example, movement in public spaces. Wholesalers and catering suppliers are particularly affected by the closure of horeca businesses, and at first this caused panic. What is the situation now, and how will it continue, in the long term even?
Rick Marwitz of mirontell fein & frisch AG notes that the market is slowly calming down: "We have of course lost many of our orders, but fruit salad is still being bought. Production is also slowly increasing again. Now, of course, we have to wait until the measures are lifted again". Until then, it's important to maintain the infrastructure. "If the time frame is limited, we and many others can survive the coronavirus." So he's a lot more optimistic than he was two weeks ago. ""After the initial shock, we really rolled up our sleeves and got going, trying to find out what to do to keep the company going."
Also, companies stand by one another in this: "On social media you can see how wholesalers give each other tips and suggestions, consultants give recommendations on what the companies can do in their current situation. People are moving towards each other again. It's a beginning!" He hopes for a relaxation of the measures by mid-May: "We are prepared. As soon as it starts up again we are ready to go full production!"
The mirontell team at this year's Fruit Logistica.
One interesting development is that of delivery services. Marwitz has been convinced of the success of this trade channel for a long time, but also knows that consumers are still shy. Can this crisis change consumer behaviour in the long term? "The time span is crucial," says Marwitz. "The development would have come one way or another, but thanks to Corona it has now gained in importance more quickly. If the spook is over by April, I don't think there will be a long-term change. If it lasts into the summer, things will look different. The longer people are dependent on it, the more likely it is that the delivery service will also gain in value in the long term."
However, a current problem is the overload of services, with waiting times of up to two weeks in the Berlin area. "The providers are completely overloaded because nobody was prepared for it. The supermarkets can't cope at all." This is also due to the mistrust of consumers, who were afraid of these offers before the crisis: "This service was more of a sideline. "Now so many people are ordering, there aren't enough drivers."
The supermarkets are profiting from the crisis in many ways: "Apart from the initial onslaught and the disappearance of the catering industry, the relaxation of antitrust laws is also being discussed. It's astonishing how quickly established social structures that we've been working on for 50 years are being reconsidered in this situation. Be it the Schengen Agreement, antitrust laws or personal freedom. Maybe all this makes sense now to protect the health of the general public, but afterwards this must be reversed - opening borders, preventing price fixing and getting people out again," Marwitz concluded.
For more information:
Rick Marwitz
mirontell fein & frisch AG
Zum Kiesberg 8
D - 14979 Großbeeren
Tel.: +49 (33701) 3573-18
Email: marwitz@mirontell.de
Web: www.mirontell.de